Northern Ireland Independent Monitoring Commission

Baroness Amos: My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	On 20 April 2004 I formally requested the Independent Monitoring Commission to prepare a security normalisation report under Article 5(2) of the International Agreement between the British and Irish Governments.
	Article 5(2) enables the British Government to commission the IMC to prepare a report on security normalisation activity undertaken over a specified period. I asked the IMC to report on all normalisation activities which have taken place since December 1999 up to the present time. The activities are set out in Article 5(1)(a)(i) to (v) of the International Agreement. The IMC report also takes account of views on the effects of normalisation on the ground and the programme of reform to deliver a community based policing environment in Northern Ireland. It is distinct from the monitoring of the programme of normalisation included in the Joint Declaration which is yet to be commenced.
	I am most grateful to the commission for its thorough report. The report is helpful in identifying the extent of steps that have been taken to reduce the security profile in Northern Ireland. The report also recognises that further steps are being taken, but that these must be measured against the prevailing assessment of the security threat. I have placed copies of the second report of the Independent Monitoring Commission in the Libraries of both Houses.

Northern Ireland Youth Justice Agency: Annual Report and Accounts 2003–04

Baroness Amos: My right honourable friend the Minister of State for Northern Ireland has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	I have placed copies of the Youth Justice Agency's annual report and accounts for 2003–04 in the Libraries of both Houses. This is the agency's first annual report since its inception on 1 April 2003. It achieved eight of its nine key performance targets and all 20 of its development objectives.

Northern Ireland Prison Service: Annual Report and Accounts 2003–04

Baroness Amos: My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	I have placed copies of the Northern Ireland Prison Service's annual report and accounts for 2003–04 in the Libraries of both Houses.
	The annual report details that the service met seven of its 12 key targets in full and partially met an eighth. Of the comprehensive programme of 24 development objectives set for the service, 12 were achieved, four were partially achieved and substantial progress made towards meeting the remaining eight.

HIV/AIDS

Baroness Amos: My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for International Development has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	I have placed in the Libraries of both Houses copies of Taking Action: The UK's Strategy for tackling HIV and AIDS in the developing world, which I published today.
	This paper is being published by the Department for International Development (DfID) but the following government Departments worked with DfID to help to produce it: the Department of Health, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, HM Treasury, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Patent Office, the Inland Revenue, the Ministry of Defence, the Home Office, the Department for Education and Skills and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
	AIDS is one of the greatest threats to eradicating poverty and achieving the millennium development goals. Over the past 25 years the number of people affected by HIV has risen dramatically, from the first AIDS cases identified in the 1980s to the 38 million who are living with HIV and AIDS today. Over 20 million people have died. Sub-Saharan Africa has suffered the severest impact: over 25 million people are currently living with HIV and AIDS and 12 million children have been orphaned by AIDS. By 2010 the number of orphans who will have lost parents to AIDS may rise to 18 million. In Asia and Eastern Europe, there is a serious risk of a generalised epidemic unless action is taken now. In all regions, women and young people are particularly vulnerable.
	The UK Government are committed to fighting AIDS and reversing the spread of HIV. The challenges facing the world were set out in the UK's Call for Action on HIV/AIDS, published on World AIDS Day last year. Taking Action: The UK's strategy for tackling HIV and AIDS in the developing world sets out how the UK will respond to the challenges by: promoting a comprehensive response to tackle prevention, treatment and care as well as addressing the social impact of AIDS; prioritising the needs of women, young people, including orphans and other children; focusing on human rights, stigma and discrimination; and ensuring that action on AIDS is sustainable in the long term as well as responsive to immediate needs.
	As announced in the spending review, the UK Government will commit at least £1.5 billion over the next three years to tackle AIDS in the developing world. Of this, at least £150 million will be dedicated to helping orphans and other children made vulnerable by AIDS, especially in Africa. We will also be doubling our contribution to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and malaria with an additional £77 million over the next three years. This is in addition to extra money for UNAIDS and UNFPA announced in my Written Statement of 6 July.

Forensic Science Northern Ireland: Annual Report and Accounts 2003–04

Baroness Amos: My right honourable friend the Minister of State at the Northern Ireland Office has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	I have today published the Forensic Science Northern Ireland annual report and accounts 2003–04. The annual report sets out performance of the agency against key targets. Copies of the report have today been laid before the House.

Hong Kong

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: The latest report on the implementation of the Sino-British joint declaration on Hong Kong was published today and copies have been placed in the Library of the House. A copy of the report is also available on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website (www.fco.gov.uk). The report covers the period from 1 January to 30 June 2004 and includes a foreword by my right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary. I commend the report to the House.

European Union Constitutional Treaty

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: My right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary (Mr Jack Straw) has laid before the House Command Paper 6289, containing the text agreed by the European Council on 17–18 June 2004 for a Constitutional Treaty for the European Union (CIG 86/04). Copies have been placed in the Library of the House and the Printed Paper Office.
	This is an interim text of the treaty, which still has to go through a process of technical amendment by jurist-linguists this summer. The Dutch presidency then plans for the final text to be signed by Heads of State and Government on 29 October.
	Command Paper 6289 includes the declarations of the Council that will accompany the treaty, and the protocols that are new or directly relevant to the UK (the remainder can be seen in the online version of the treaty, at www.fco.gov.uk). We will present the final text in full to Parliament this autumn, also as a Command Paper, prior to introducing legislation to give it effect in UK law—subject to its approval in a referendum.

Voluntary and Community Sector

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: I am today placing in the Library of the House copies of the report of the fifth annual meeting, held on 5 May 2004, to review the compact on relations between Government and the voluntary and community sector.
	The meeting reviewed the significant achievements made across government and the voluntary and community sector to implement and develop the compact. The compact is the blueprint for improving partnership working between government, at all levels, and the sector.
	The challenge now is to make sure the compact is used as a practical tool to improve public services and citizens' everyday lives.
	The compact action plan in the report of the fifth annual meeting sets out our priorities for driving the relationship between government and the sector forward this year.

Watchkeeper

Lord Bach: My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Defence (Mr Geoffrey Hoon) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	We are pleased to announce the new chapter to the Strategic Defence Review set out the potential for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to significantly improve operational effectiveness. UAVs will be a key contributor to network enabled capability and their ability to provide persistent surveillance of the battlefield or theatre of operations, without putting lives at risk has been demonstrated recently by US operations in Afghanistan and coalition operations in Iraq.
	The central element of the UK's current plans for acquiring UAVs is the Watchkeeper programme, which will provide UK commanders with accurate, timely and high quality imagery. Watchkeeper will be an advanced system integrating air vehicles, sensor payloads and ground control facilities. It will be joined to the wider command and control network through communication systems such as Bowman, allowing information to be passed quickly, providing commanders with an improved understanding of the battle space and shortening sensor to shooter times.
	The competition for entry into the final stage of the Watchkeeper programme has been run between two industrial teams led by Northrop Grumman and Thales Defence Ltd. Both submitted bids reflecting an understanding of the programme requirements, the technical complexities, the project management requirements and UK industrial participation. Following detailed consideration of the proposals, on the basis of value for money and demonstration of the best potential to deliver the required capability, the selection of the team led by Thales Defence Ltd will be announced as the preferred bidder for the Watchkeeper demonstration and manufacturing phase by the Secretary of State for Defence at the Farnborough International Airshow today. Further negotiations will be required before the project is ready to pass its main investment decision. It is planned to start these negotiations immediately. Depending on the outcome of that work, we aim to make the main gate decision on Watchkeeper later this year. The intention remains to bring Watchkeeper into service as soon as possible with capability beginning around the end of 2006.

Park Homes

Lord Rooker: My right honourable friend the Minister for Housing and Planning has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	My right honourable friend the Deputy Prime Minister will publish for public consultation on 30 July a paper on park home implied terms and written statement.
	The Housing Bill includes several clauses that improve the rights of park home owners. These include two powers allowing the appropriate national authority (Secretary of State for England and National Assembly for Wales in relation to Wales) to make secondary legislation relating to the implied terms and the written statement.
	Provision has been made for the first exercise of the power to specify new implied terms, and to amend and delete existing ones, to have retrospective effect. It is therefore vital that we address all the important issues in the first exercise of the power. An affirmative resolution approving the order from both Houses of Parliament will be necessary.
	In the consultation paper we have proposed 22 changes to the implied terms on which we have already consulted informally. We propose, for example, amendments on, among other things, further tightening of the resale process, increased transparency in the payment system and more residents' rights through the quiet enjoyment of the pitch.
	The Housing Bill contains a re-enactment of the power of the appropriate national authority to prescribe requirements with which written statements must comply. The consultation paper proposes several changes to the requirements taking account of the proposed implied terms.
	Copies of the paper are being sent to a wide range of interested parties, including local authorities, trade and resident associations, and others with an interest in this issue. The closing date for responses is 22 October.
	Copies of the paper will also be placed in the Libraries of the House, and will be available on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's website at www.odpm.gov.uk.

NHS Estates and Facilities Management Development Agency: Annual Report and Accounts 2003–04

Lord Warner: We have received the NHS Estates and Facilities Management Development Agency annual report and accounts 2003–04 and copies have today been laid in accordance with the requirements of Section 5 of the Exchequer and Audit Departments Act 1921.
	The report describes the agency's performance against key tasks and targets and incorporates its accounts for that year. Copies of the annual report and accounts 2003–04 have been placed in the Library of the House.

Taxation: General Commissioners

Lord Filkin: On 15 July 2004 I made an order under Section 2(6) of the Taxes Management Act 1970 amalgamating a number of divisions in the Bristol area, Cornwall and Yorkshire with effect from 1 September 2004 and two divisions in West Glamorgan with effect from 1 January 2005, as follows:
	Bristol, Bedminster and Wrington divisions are merged into Bristol, Bedminster and Wrington division;
	Penzance, Redruth, Truro and West Kerrier divisions are merged into West Cornwall division;
	Grimsby and Cleethorpes divisions are merged into Grimsby & Cleethorpes division; Swansea and Neath divisions are merged into West Glamorgan division.
	All the amalgamations were made at the request of the general commissioners in all the divisions with the aim of improving the organisational efficiency of the divisions concerned. I have placed a copy of the order amalgamating the divisions in the Libraries of both Houses.

Employment Tribunals Service: Performance Targets 2003–04.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (Gerry Sutcliffe) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	The Employment Tribunals Service has published its annual report and accounts for 2003–04 today. Copies have been laid before Parliament and will be placed on the ETS website at www.ets.gov.uk.
	I have set the Employment Tribunals Service the following targets for 2004–05:
	Quality
	75 per cent of single employment tribunal cases to a first hearing within 26 weeks of receipt;
	Minimum to be achieved by all offices in relation to above target—65 per cent;
	85 per cent of employment tribunal decisions issued within four weeks of the final hearing;
	85 per cent of employment tribunal users satisfied with the service offered by ETS;
	75 per cent of appeals to EAT to a first hearing within 26 weeks of receipt.
	Efficiency
	3 per cent real-terms reduction in employment tribunal administrative unit costs.
	In addition to these key targets:
	Finance
	Pay 100 per cent of invoices within 30 days of receipt of goods or services or a valid invoice, whichever is the later.
	Questions delegated to the Chief Executive
	Reply within 10 working days to all letters from Members of Parliament delegated for the chief executive's reply.

Coal Authority: Annual Report and Accounts 2003–04

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (Nigel Griffiths) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	I have today laid a copy of the Coal Authority report and accounts for 2003–04 before Parliament.

Company Audit Bodies: Annual Reports 2003

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (Ms Hewitt) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	I have received the annual reports for the year 2003 from the five recognised supervisory bodies for company auditors: a combined report from the Institutes of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, Scotland and Ireland, and one each from the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants and the Association of Authorised Public Accountants. Copies of the reports have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
	Schedule 11 to the Companies Act 1989 sets out the requirements which a body must meet to be eligible for recognised supervisory body status. These include requirements to have adequate arrangements for monitoring and enforcing compliance with its rules relating to membership and eligibility—for example, holding an appropriate qualification, being a fit and proper person, working to technical and ethical standards, maintaining competence—discipline and investigation of complaints. In these reports, the recognised bodies inform the Government about their activities in relation to these arrangements.
	In January 2003 I announced a number of changes to the regulatory regime of the accountancy and audit professions, including the establishment of a new independent inspection unit, located within the Financial Reporting Council, and a professional oversight board for accountancy (POBA), to take over, from this department, my functions under Part II of the Companies Act 1989 in respect of the recognised supervisory bodies. I am pleased to report that these bodies are now established and in operation. The delegation of these powers is dependent on provisions in the Companies (Audit, Investigations and Community Enterprise) Bill currently before the House and so for the time being my department continues to have responsibility for oversight of the recognised supervisory bodies.

Tonnage Tax

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: My right honourable friend the Paymaster General (Dawn Primarolo) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	The tonnage tax was introduced in 2000 as part of a package of measures to revive the UK shipping industry. In July 2002, I announced that the Inland Revenue and the Department for Transport would commence a review of the way the regime is operating, and invited public contributions. A number of representations have been received. Individuals and groups wishing to make further representations are invited to do so by 30 September 2004. Details about how representations can be made are available on the Inland Revenue's website.

BBC Charter Review

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has today made the following Written Ministerial Statement:
	On 11 December 2003, I announced the first phase of BBC Charter review with the launch of a major public consultation. The consultation was supported by a programme of survey research, visits to different parts of the country to hear the views of people in the media industry and the public first hand, and a series of events for children and young people to hear what they had to say.
	By the time the consultation closed on 31 March 2004 we had received over 5,000 written responses and there had been over 25,000 unique visitors to the charter review website. We published the responses on the Internet as the consultation proceeded. The research fieldwork we commissioned was completed in June this year.
	Today, I am publishing the results of this consultation and research. The report we are publishing—What You Said About the BBC—summarises the main points that were put to us. It does not capture every single one of the many hundreds of issues raised, which is why I am also publishing in full the reports of research and consultation on which What You Said . . .  is based. These documents, together with the consultation responses I have already published, should be seen as a complementary package and taken together give a comprehensive picture of the views received.
	What You Said . . . contains both praise and criticism. Most people indicated that they value the BBC and hold it in high esteem, but a significant minority disagreed. To those who like the BBC it was generally seen as the best broadcaster for news, documentaries and features about personal interests. But even to many supporters it is seen as being by no means perfect. Although satisfaction levels are high, most people want to see changes. However, there is a clear view that the BBC should continue to remain independent of government, parliamentary and commercial pressures.
	People believe the BBC should keep up with developments in new technology and should be a leading partner in new markets—this will be particularly relevant as we make the journey towards full switchover from analogue to digital broadcasting.
	Contributors clearly felt that there was room for improvement in the way the BBC is governed and regulated, although there is more debate to be had about exactly what changes are needed. And on the question of how we should pay for the BBC, the licence fee was widely considered to be the best—or rather the "least worst"—method for the time being, although other options were put forward and questions were raised about how the licence fee is set, collected and distributed.
	The findings contained in this report will feed directly into the review of the BBC's charter. As I have said on numerous occasions, the only certain outcome of charter review will be a strong BBC, independent of government.
	I have placed copies of What You Said . . . and the supporting research in the Library of the House. Further copies are available from the charter review web site: www.bbccharterreview.org.uk.

Government Car and Despatch Agency: Annual Report and Accounts

Lord Bassam of Brighton: The Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster has today laid the Government Car and Depatch Agency annual report and accounts 2003–04 before Parliament, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.